Mark your calendars: Scottsdale Art Week returns this March for its second engagement, in partnership with Scottsdale Ferrari and Cities West Media. Featuring 120 different galleries from more than 16 countries, the annual art event is poised to once again draw collectors and enthusiasts from around the world. Inspired by legendary art events like Art Basel in Miami and TEFAF in New York, SAW has alredy established itself as a standout among its prestigious peers.
Opening Night Rundown
Scottsdale Art Week kicks off with an exclusive First Look event from 1-6 p.m. on Thursday, followed by the Opening Night Vernissage from 6-9 p.m. For a chance at a casual viewing of the featured art, attend the First Look on Thursday afternoon. In the evening, the Opening Night Vernissage will boast a more upscale gallery viewing with accompanying entertainment. A live performance from local music collective Lunar Calendar, award ceremonies and a wearable art show curated by Galina Mihaleva of Arizona State University FIDM showcase Valley culture. Drinks and select food will be available for an additional charge.
What: 120 galleries from 16 different countries. Regional artists and international creators alike.
Where: WestWorld of Scottsdale (North Hall), 16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, scottsdaleartweek.com
When: March 19-22
Cost: First Look (Th), $120; Opening Night Vernissage (Th), $200. Single-day tickets (F, Sa, Su), $50. General admission for the whole weekend (F-Su), $100. Student GA with valid ID (F, Sa or Su), $25.
For the remainder of the weekend, SAW will be open to the public for gallery viewing and events including conversations between artists and experts including Cara Romero and Emilia Mickevicius, and educational programming inspired by SAW’s collaboration with partners such as Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum and Denver Art Museum. The indoor-outdoor space features functioning garage doors, which will be opened to showcase the nearby McDowell Mountains during the event.
3 Must-Visit Dealers
Lisa Sette Gallery
Phoenix, Arizona
Midtown Phoenix’s Lisa Sette Gallery has served the international and Valley art scenes for more than 40 years. Among classic art forms like painting and sculpture, owner and curator Lisa Sette also features installation and performance pieces in her gallery. With a broad range of emerging artists and seasoned professionals, Sette brings a fresh approach to the Valley art scene. lisasettegallery.com
Acosta Strong Fine Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Acosta Strong Fine Art features historical American Western art and contemporary artists. Situated at the beginning of the revered Canyon Road arts district in Santa Fe, Acosta Strong Fine Art Gallery features work from legendary art collectives including Los Cinco Pintores, a group of 20th-century artists who worked in Santa Fe, and the Taos Society of Artists, which worked from 1915 to 1927. acostastrong.com
Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery
Tucson, Arizona
Located in the Catalina Foothills just north of Tucson, Medicine Man Gallery showcases Indigenous art, jewelry and Navajo rugs along with early and modern Western art. It also houses the Maynard Dixon Museum, with more than 150 of his original works along with his writings and ephemera. Medicine Man Gallery has been an esteemed and versatile spot for Southwestern fine art since 1992. medicinemangallery.com
Meet the Band
Lunar Calendar is a Phoenix collective that unites classical chamber music and immersive visuals to create contemporary art that you can see and hear. Musicians Julian Nguyen and Emilio Vazquez created the collective to offer a space for artists to collaborate and uplift local communities and other artists. Each performance is a unique blend of classical instruments and modern music, with accompanying light shows and backing visuals to create a multi-sensory experience. Lunar Calendar’s performance at the Opening Night Vernissage will provide a taste of the innovative artwork slated for the weekend.
Q&A: Cara Romero
Chemehuevi fine-art photographer and gallery owner Cara Romero will make history this year as the inaugural recipient of SAW’s Indigenous Artist of the Year Award. We caught up with Romero ahead of her appearance at the show.
Q: How did you decide what to feature at Scottsdale Art Week?
A: I am bringing work by four artists – Cara Romero, Diego Romero, Robert King and Leah Mata Fragua – represented by my gallery. We are all showing new works that are “hard to find” and available for acquisition. I chose my most recent works from my Ancestral Futures series for SAW. They will be featured in my solo show, on view concurrently at the Phoenix Art Museum, and are wildly colorful, hopeful and an inspiring entry point into my large-format photography.
Q: Is there a specific theme to your collection being featured in SAW?
A: The theme for my photographs is Ancestral Futures, sometimes called Native Futurism. In this work, you’ll see otherworldly images that playfully speculate on the role of ancestral knowledge and place-based intelligences. Informed by my love of magical realism, and an understanding of time as circular – these photographs highlight stories that are complicated and hopeful.
Q: How has living in New Mexico and being a member of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe in the Mojave Desert impacted your view of the Southwest?
A: I feel inseparable from the desert. It is “where my bones are from,” and is a place I draw inspiration from, but also feel at home. I have gone back and forth between Santa Fe and my home in Chemehuevi Valley my whole life.
5 International Galleries at SAW
Gama Gallery
Istanbul, Turkey
Established in 2009 by Şule Claire Altıntaş, Gama Gallery showcases works of contemporary art from North America, Europe and Turkey. The gallery’s goal is to foster collaboration between artists from across the globe through painting, photography, sculpture and multimedia art. gamagallery.art
Imaginario Art Gallery
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Imaginario Art Gallery represents more than 30 Argentine and Latin American artists. It features primarily photography and paintings, and focuses on creating connections between artists and opening up the international art market. imaginariogaleria.com.ar/en/
Renssen Art Gallery
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Primarily showcasing works by Dutch artist Erik Renssen, Renssen Art Gallery is located in the Spiegelkwartier arts and antiques district. The gallery also features works by Pablo Picasso, including lithographs, etchings and pochoirs (stencil prints). renssenartgallery.com
Gladwell & Patterson
London, United Kingdom
Founded in London in 1746, Gladwell & Patterson has been a staple in the British fine art scene for more than 275 years. It specializes in oil paintings, sculptures, watercolor, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. gladwellpatterson.com
Corridor Contemporary
Tel Aviv, Israel
A hub for international artists, Corridor Contemporary houses a wide array of artwork, including classic forms such as photography and painting, as well as more modern mediums, like avant-garde graffiti, installations and collectible toys. corridorcontemporary.com
